Device for winding strips of fabric material



G. WALKER June 26, 1945.

DEVICE FOR WINDING. STRIPS OF FABRIC MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1943 G. WALKER DEVICE FOR WINDING STRIPS OF FABRIC MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 June 26, 1945.

Filed Oct. 23,-1943 Patented June 26, 1945 DEVICE FOR WINDING STRIPS OF FABRIC MATERIAL Glen Walker, Ogden, Utah, assignor to Steiner, a

Sales Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Utah Application October 23, 1943, Serial No. 507,373

1 Claim. (01. 242-,-ss)' This invention relates to improvements in devices for rapidly winding fabric material, such as fabric toweling in strip form and of the kind used in towel dispensing cabinets. Ordinarily this strip material varies in length from about twenty-five to fifty yards, and in width from about twelve to fifteen inches. After being launs dered each strip of material is given roll form to adapt it to be placed in operativerelation in a dispensing device. The-completed rolls ordinarily vary from about six to eight inches in diameter.

The winding device herein is generally placed near the delivery end of a mangle or ironing machine, and the strip material, as delivered from the ironer, is smoothly and quickly rolled under regulated tension into a compact form ready for insertion into a towel dispensing cabinet.

These winders are provided with a winding roll of small diameter which is removably disposed in guides to rest by gravity on and be frictiondrivenby a driving roll. High speed windingis an object. The operator takes the winding roll out of the guides, wraps the terminal portion of a strip of clean toweling about it, then drops the roll into guides to dispose its towel-wrapped surface in gravity-drive relation with the driving roll, and then turns on power to an electric motor, which drives the roll.

Speed winding is important, for reducing costs. The operators of these winders are generally piece workers, so that it is important that there should be no delays due to mechanical imperfections of the winding device. Moreover, it is important that there should be no danger connected with therapid winding operation.

Heretofore there has been danger because the friction-driven winding roll, during its very rapid rotation, was liable to fly out of its guides. This was due to the fact that the winding roll had trunnions or a shaft, which were rotative in the guides. It sometimes happens that, due to the rapid rotation of the winding roll, there would be developed aclimbing action between the rotating trunnions or shaft of the roll, and the stationary guides therefor, and because of this high-speed climbing action the roll was liable to ride out of the guides. If it did not ride out of the guides, then one side or the other of it would often be raised to cause disalignment between the axes of rotation of the winding and driving rolls. This resulted in uneven winding and often required stopping of the machine and unwinding and; rewinding or adjustment of the toweling already wound to even it.

dangers of winding rolldisengagement, substantiallyeliminates serious disalignment, and allows the winding roll to be operated at greater speed by inexperienced operators.

Heretofore it was often necessary for the operator to place one hand'on the rotating winding roll to prevent that degree of bouncing which would result in its serious disaligmnent with the axis of the drive roll. This is a very objectionable procedure because of burning pain due to friction. Moreover, calluses'may be formed because of such friction. This is a serious objection when the operators are women. By the use of this invention, engagement of the hand with the rotating winding roll is unnecessary because of'the nonrotative relation of the shaft ends with their guides, and also because of the weightloading of the roll, by use of a shaft of large diameter, to obtain a maximum of weight.- Another important advantage in the use of this invention is in relation to'inexperienced or unskilled operators. There is now no need to caution such operators as to the possible danger of disengagement of the winding roll, and thus make them apprehensive. Moreover, they do not need to be instructed about laying their hands upon the rotating winding roll because there is not often any need for so doing. Moreover, better winding quality can now be accomplished by inexperienced or unskilled operators because of the elimination, by this invention, of serious disalignment of the winding roll.

Features of the invention include; the rotative mounting of the winding rollon a shaft held slidably but nonrotatively, in guides; the use of a single shaft with squared ends as a means for nonrotatively mounting the shaft; the use of a single shaft with one end only squared; the manner of rotatively mounting the winding roll on the shaft to provide trunnions; the increasing of the weight of the winding roll; the use of a tubular roll and of a shaft of relatively large diameter to give added weight to the winding roll and thus reduce bouncing action; all details of construction shown or described; and all broader ideas of means shown or inherent in the disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the description of the drawings, and in said drawings- Fig. 1 is a front view of the device, the toweling being omitted; r

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on line.2-2 of Fig. 1; 7

present inventionentirely. overcomesthe 55 a F i5 asubstantiallyfull Scale viewsomewhat like that of Fig. 2 with a small amount of toweling on the winding roll; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximately on line 4-4 .of Fig. 3.

In the drawings the numeral I generally indicates a suitable casing within or on which the mechanism of this invention is supported. The casing is open at the front as best seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Suitably mounted in bearings of the casing is a drive roll 2 provided at one end with a pulley 3 connected by a belt 4 with pulley 5 on the shaft of a suitable electric motor 6. Suitable means easily accessible to the operator (not shown) is in practice provided for starting and stopping the motor. The roll 2 is suitably surfaced for friction drive of toweling, by being covered with soft rubber. Any suitable means for this purpose may be used.

Suitably connected to two opposite side walls of the casing I, as by welding, are pairs of guides, each pair comprising a front member 1 and a rear member 8. The lower ends of these guides are arranged as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 near to and in a certain relation with the drive roll 2. The front member I is bent as at 9 to provide a rest for the winding roll shaft.

Slidably engaged with these guides are the ends of a heavy shaft I 0 which passes through a tubular winding roll II, preferably of heavy brass.

The winding roll rotates on this shaft by means of two ball race structures, only one .of which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. It will be understood that each end of the tube or roll II has a ball race like that shown in Fig. 4, or an equivalent structure which will permit the use of a shaft of maximum diameter and by which the winding roll I I can rotate upon the nonrotatable shaft I0. The shaft I0 isfreely slidable in the guide ways, but its projecting ends I3 are squared as indicated at I4 and the squared portions so fit the guides that the shaft is held against rotation, although it is free to slide. It is so held that the winding roll H rests by gravity upon the drive roll 2 and is capable of moving freely upwardly as the amount of towelin on the rotatable winding roll II increases. As shown in Fig. 1, both projecting portions I3 of the shaft ID are squared.

A feature is the use of a shaftof maximum diameter and weight, and the use of a roller bearing structure which allows of the use of a shaft of a diameter which is relatively large in relation to the outer diameter of the roll. .The added weight reduces bouncing action and provides ballast to reduce disalignment to a minmum. In turn this permits operation at higher speeds.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a small amount of cloth I8 has been shown as wound upon the winding roll. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn to approximate full scale so as to show more clearly the relations of the parts, both at the beginning of winding and after winding is completed.

Referring to Fig. 4. The ball structure comprises an inner race member I! and an outer race member I8 respectively secured to the shaft and tube I l by suitable set screws, as shown. The balls are indicated at I 9. The assembly is so designed as to permit the use of a shaft of maximum diameter and therefore of maximum weight. Inner member I1 is first secured to the shaft, then the shaft is inserted into the tube I I. 'Then outer member I8 is slid over and then along the shaft and into the tube II, and is secured by the set screw.

The speed of rotation of the winding roll II is very rapid. At a given rate of rotation of the drive roll 2 the rate of rotation of the winding roll is greatest when-it has the least toweling wound thereon. In practice the rotation of the drive roll is very rapid. In one embodiment the diameter of the drive roll is about three times greater than that of the winding roll. See Fig. 3. Speed is needed to reduce the time of winding and therefore to reduce the cost. Even winding is necessary.

Heretofore the shaft was rotatable in its guides. During winding disengagement of the rapidly rotating shaft from its guides would sometimes occur. This was dangerous, and was due to climbing action of the rotating shaft in its guides.

Even if the climbing action did not result in entire disengagement of the shaft, it often caused the rotative axis of the winding roll to be thrown out of alignment with the rotative axis of the driving mll, thus causing uneven winding action. Roughening of the shaft or guides or roughening of both, due to wear, supplemented the high speed effect. If an attempt was made by the operator to hold the winding roll down with the hands, the operation was painful because of friction effects, and in time the hands became calloused.

By preventing rotationof the shaft in its guides, as practiced herein, but by still permitting rotation of the roll on the shaft, the difficulties of disengagement have been entirely overcome and of disalignment has been largely overcome, while at the same time the speed of operationhas been increased.

To make it possible to speedily put the winding roll in the guides and take it out of them, the guides I and 8 are made as short as possible. Their overall length is based on the length of the diameter desired for a completed roll of toweling. Their length is a little greater than the length of the radius, that is, a little greater than one-half of the length of the diameter of the largest sized towel roll. It is desirable, in order to obtain speed of removal of the complete roll and initial introduction of the winding roll, to have said winding roll shaft arrive at a point near the top of the guide at the end of the winding operation. In this position the shaft can be easily and quickly manually disengaged from the guides. After disengagement the winding roll is withdrawn from the completed roll of toweling. In the old practice when the shaft rotated in its guides it could very easily be accidentally disengaged from said guides as it neared their upper extremities.

The device is also provided with means by which the toweling material is put under tension on its way to the winding roll. Before describing the means for accomplishing this purpose, it may be said that the winding roll I I is driven by frictional engagement of the drive roll with the toweling on the winding roll, and is so driven that the toweling is drawn upwardly over the top of the winding roll. In dot-and-dash lines the size of a completed roll has been indicated for comparison with the size of the winding roll, before any toweling has been wound thereon or when only a very small amount has been wound thereon.

Now concerning the means for smoothing and putting a tension on the toweling on its way to the winding roll. Mounted crosswise at the front of and within the casing I are, in this case, three rolls each designated 20. These rolls are held in. suitable bearings and coil springs 2| are'provided, one at each opposite end for providing friction to yieldably retard rotation of the rolls.

Attached at the front of the casing is a swinging frame composed of two arms 24 pivoted as at 25. The arms 24 are rigidly connected by cross-rods 26 so that the swinging frame may be said to be constituted by the arms 24 held together by the cross-rods 26. This frame can be swung outwardly. Journaled on this frame in this instance are two rolls 28 which enter slots 29 of the casing I and engage the toweling I6 in the manner shown. When the parts are positione as shown in Fig. 2 therefore there is a considerable tension put on the toweling and this tension can be varied by suitable adjustment of the tension of the coil springs 2| and of corresponding spring 30 of the rolls 28. A releasable lock for the frame has not been shown, nor has the handle by which the operator moves it outwardly and inwardly been shown. The rolls 20 and 28 represent one means by which winding tension can be put on the toweling, and can be varied to obtain even pressure on the toweling as it is given its roll form.

Insofar as I am aware, no one has before conceived of a, way in which the above objections could be overcome in a device of this specific kind in which rapid rotation of the drive roll is necessary in order to obtain optimum economic results in relation to even winding. Not only does the practice of the present invention allow a speeding up of the winding operation by' unskilled operators over that before obtainable, but it entirely eliminates any danger to the operatorand substantially entirely eliminates any uneven winding due to disalignment of the rotative axis of the driving and driven rolls.

When I use in the claim the terms a device for winding woven fabric material or a winding unit adapted for use in a device for winding woven fabric material I mean to limit my invention to its proper and specific art in which problems arise that differ from those involved in winding unwoven material.

This invention relates to the art of winding woven fabric material to provide supply rolls for dispensing machines. The material is wound, at high speed, after being laundered. It is wound by piece workers. Y Quick introduction of the winding unit into its guides is necessary. Therefore, the dimensions of the shaft of the winding unit relative to its guides, must be such as j to provide free clearance axially as well as transversely of the rotative axis. It is because of this free clearance that the problems of this art arise, and it is particularly necessary to provide for quick an easy introduction into the guides.

The function of the elements 9 is also important. The operator takes the winding roll out of the guides, then preliminarily wraps the Cil terminal portion of a strip of clean toweling about it. The wrappingis accomplished while the shaft ends rest in the depressions of the elements 9. The unit is then dropped into the guides, which can be very conveniently done because the elements 9 are immediately at the open tops of the guides. This dropping can only be quickly and easily accomplished whenvery free clearance is provided.

It is important that the outer diameter of the winding unit be small and that its surface be smooth to facilitate the slipping off of the roll of wound material. Therefore, the tube is made of metal. It is also important that this winding unit be weighted to as great extent as possible. For this reason a shaft of metal of relatively large diameter is used to gain weight. The tube of metal which forms the winding roll is made as small as possible to obtain high speed operation by the driving roll 2. Metal adds weight. Inasmuch as speed is a very important object in this piece work, the device is driven at high speed even after formation of the roll is practically completed, as indicated in dot-anddash lines of Fig. 3. At this time when roll formation is near completion, the unit is near the open top of the guides. If the almost completed roll is rotating at very high speed, it naturally follows that when that winding is first started the winding roll is rotated at ex-' tremely high speeds. At any point between the full-line and dotted-line positions of the unit in' this figure, accidental disengagement might take place, were it not for applicants invention, including the weighting of the roll.

I claim as my invention:

A device for Winding woven fabric material, comprising a high-speed driving roll, open-top guides, a winding unit consisting of a shaft, a

tube permanently connected by means of two ball bearings to rotate on the shaft as a winding roll, the ends of the shaft being in direct contact and freely movable in the guides to allow the material-covered winding roll to rest upon and be speedily driven by friction action against the material, the ends of said shaft being formed to prevent rotation of the shaft, but so formed as to permit free sliding as well as slight axial motions of the shaft in the guides and therefore formed to facilitate introduction of the shaft ends into said guides, said guides having rests forwardly thereof and adjacent their open tops for receiving the ends of said shaft, whereby to support the winding unit outside of the guides during preliminary wrapping of the end of the toweling about the winding roll and preliminary to introduction of the unit into the guides and into winding operation with the driving roll.

GLEN WALKER. 

